Disney built its business plan on breaking through in China, but despite non-stop pandering to the Communist regime, it didn’t work out. Hollywood studios which had come to depend on the Chinese box office were cut out. Xi has tightened the screws on foreign movies, games and culture in general. But one movie is okay.

Alex Garland’s Civil War has been set for a June 7 theatrical release date in China. This marks the first time an A24 production will officially hit cinemas there. The dystopian thriller was acquired by Huahua Media in the market with Alibaba set to partner on the local release.

What would be the appeal of this movie to Chinese audiences in which Americans fight a civil war and then execute the president?

It’s a real mystery.

China ruthlessly censors any suggestion that its regime might be unstable to the point that it used to ban time travel movies because they implied that someone could go back in time and stop the regime. They love the idea of ‘Civil War’ for obvious reasons. It’s anti-American propaganda made in America.

Hollywood has long steered clear of any negative depictions of the Chinese Communist regime, but it also knows that making movies bashing America will sell in China. Is this treason? At best it’s treason-adjacent.